Rangers

The journey from Peterhead to Seville has been quite a ride. By Tom Parmenter, Sports Correspondent. Tuesday 17 May 2022 15:36 ...

The away trips that followed to humble stadiums in the far-flung corners of Scotland will never be forgotten by those who travelled. Club legend Ally McCoist had stuck with them as manager and was in no doubt about the size of the challenge that lay ahead. The finances were a mess - creative accounting built on quicksand had seen the club borrow more than it could afford. Any club that survives for 150 years knows the highs and the lows. Administration led to liquidation. The shock of being told they would have to start again in the fourth flight of Scottish football was a seismic moment not just for Rangers but for the whole of the game in Scotland.

Rangers take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final in Seville on Wednesday night.

The game was overshadowed by violence and vandalism in the city centre, where more than 200,000 Gers fans had gathered. It was one of the greatest nights of my career but in the end it was a real slap in the face for Rangers." Franz Roth scored the decisive goal 19 minutes into extra time to land Bayern their first European trophy.

There appeared to be a positive mood in the session at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

The players had a chance to train on the pitch ahead of the showpiece in the scorching Spanish sun. With Eintracht Frankfurt standing in the way of glory tensions could be rising behind the scenes in the Rangers dressing room. The countdown is on to kick-off in the Europa League final and Gio van Bronckhorst's men were able to get to know their surroundings ahead of the Seville showdown.

The 40-year-old goalkeeper has 12 winner's medals but beating Frankfurt would top the lot in what could be his last game.

“I got a knee in the back and was still sent off,” McGregor recalls. Then I had to try and do a pee, which was like giving blood. I was struggling to breathe walking off the pitch. I said: ‘Seven weeks to the Cup final, boss. We are a massive club but, if you put it into financial perspective – which I don’t really like doing, unlike you – given the teams we have beaten it is crazy to be here.” To be so far ahead in March and not to win the league. I knew it was bad.” As Rangers prevailed on penalties in Florence, McGregor was beside a radio. I was absolutely over the moon for the boys when they won that semi-final: as a fan, for colleagues that you’ve been with for umpteen years.” You just know you aren’t going to be involved, so you get on with it. McGregor laughs when it is pointed out he is unlikely to be front and centre after a European semi-final again. True to understated form, McGregor refuses to personalise the coming days, in which Rangers will attempt to win their second European trophy and first since 1972. A Scottish club getting to the Europa League final, it shouldn’t really happen, should it?

In every street and on every corner in Seville there is a blue jersey as Rangers fans from across the globe descend on the beautiful Spanish city.

The city will go crazy tomorrow.” Janik said: “Around 40 to 50,000 Eintracht fans will be here. “Any tickets mate,” says one, presumably mistaking my media accreditation for that of a UEFA official. I think we will win 1-0.” The fact that we are here is unbelievable. Come on the Rangers!”

Around 100000 Rangers fans are expected to travel to Seville for Wednesday's Europa League final.

“We are confident we have done a significant amount of engagement. “That’s why we went one day early. At nine o’clock I think it will be a lot less. “We have to enjoy this occasion. “We know our fans will get out and make a noise and we know they will behave themselves and represent the club well.” “It’s not just for Rangers, it’s also for Frankfurt and we have to enjoy it and make sure we are not causing any problems.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side have arrived in Spain as they prepare for the night of their lives.

He trained for the first time with us yesterday and had individual training before that so he will be in the squad and if I want to use him he’s ready. I played against Seville and we have the protocol with drinking. I always have some final words and sometimes it comes in the moment. We're all excited to play the final. The mood is very good. They went there and played on the front foot. The guardians of Seville (police) will not muck about, they don’t muck about in Spain in the same way they seem to muck about over here. Talent and concentration will make the difference. A Scottish club getting to the Europa League final, it shouldn’t really happen, should it? A lot of people have said the same. Everybody stayed to the end. I think it would be fantastic to have both of the big two from Glasgow in the Champions League next year.

Over the past couple of days, Rangers have enlisted the help of some familiar faces in an attempt to encourage fans to behave when they travel to Seville ...

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Two teams with no recent success in Europe – and their huge number of followers – make this a true, major event.

Beyond the tactics and conditions, what is most significant is that this feels like a huge event, far bigger than anything most players on either side has experienced. He brought his squad to Seville a day earlier than Frankfurt and, after taking a walk at kick-off time on Monday, they trained in the late afternoon on Tuesday. Both teams have generated memories that will be passed on through the generations and will sustain their clubs in bleaker times. This is a reminder of the excitement European finals can provide when the clubs who reach them are not used to such achievements; Rangers and Frankfurt have won one major European trophy apiece, both more than 40 years ago. “We’re the lucky ones who get to play in the final,” the Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack said. Add in the aggressive reputation of the Andalusian police and the potential for serious trouble is clear.

Only 19000 tickets have been allocated to supporters of Eintracht Frankfurt and Rangers ahead of their clash in Wednesday's final, meaning many will be ...

Castro said he expected plenty more of that from “two fanbases that drink a lot”. He added: “If in their countries they drink warm beer, when they have it fresh and cold here, will drink even more.” Here in southern Spain, locals might not know about the violence in Manchester when Rangers played the 2008 Uefa Cup final there, but they do have fresh memories of trouble caused by Eintracht fans. To keep the two sets of supporters apart, Rangers fans have been allocated the 60,000-capacity La Cartuja Stadium as both a meeting place and a venue to watch the final on the big screen.

The Welshman wasn't entertaining the notion that the Ibrox side could surpass their Glasgow rivals on Wednesday night.

I like Kevin, but to suggest that this would be bigger than winning the European Cup is wrong." Not only did they bring the European Cup back home from Lisbon, they did it with eleven Scotsman in the starting line-up. "When Celtic won the European Cup in 1967 they became the first British team to do it.

Van Bronckhorst urges supporters to enjoy showpiece against Eintracht Frankfurt.

“I’ve got to bring best version of myself and try to make him deal with me for the majority of the game.” Beyond the tactics and conditions, what is most significant is that this feels like a huge event, far bigger than anything most players on either side has experienced. There is an awareness this could be a once-in-a-lifetime event and that means fans want to be here, even if their chances of getting into the game are slim. Both teams have generated memories that will be passed on through the generations and will sustain their clubs in bleaker times. This is a reminder of the excitement European finals can provide when the clubs who reach them are not used to such achievements; Rangers and Frankfurt have won one major European trophy apiece, both more than 40 years ago. Add in the aggressive reputation of the Andalusian police and the potential for serious trouble is clear.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has urged Rangers fans not to leave any “negativity” in Seville as he prepared his side for tonight's Europa League final against ...

“We have to enjoy this occasion. Enjoy it and don’t leave anything negative behind.” “I think it’s not about the numbers.

Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner believes the whole of Europe is looking forward to the Europa League final against Rangers in Seville on Wednesday.

"This is one of those things you can’t really measure. I am relaxed and really excited about tomorrow." We are ready and in great shape.